"Beads of sweat drip from my forehead as I fumble my weight between my hands and feet, lifting my hips, lowering my heels toward the mat, prying my shoulders from my ears, spreading my fingers wide, and breathing at the same time. The worst part? The pangs of pain in my hands and wrists that eventually force me to surrender into Child's Pose. This is the clumsy, awkward, fussy, nonintuitive dance that is my Downward-Facing Dog."
"If I were to describe my relationship with Down Dog, it's as if the pose is an A-list Hollywood star and I'm the begrudged cinephile leaving mean Rotten Tomatoes reviews on their movies, commenting, "What does everyone see in them?" and "Take an acting class already." I run through a similar list of criticisms and questions about the pose each time I attempt it in class."
The practice of Downward-Facing Dog triggers physical pain and frustration stemming from wrist discomfort, tightness, and insufficient warm-up. The repeated cueing of the pose without variations or prop suggestions creates a sense of isolation and self-doubt during group classes. The experience can lead practitioners to question their place in yoga and feel like the only one who cannot perform the pose. Discovering alternative options, such as Dolphin or teacher-offered modifications, can provide relief, restore confidence, and reveal that adaptation and accessibility are key to maintaining a sustainable, inclusive yoga practice.
Read at Yoga Journal
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]